The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-26
THE STRIKE ON THE READING
Manager Mcleod Says Work at Port Rich
mond Will Be Resumed Tuesday.
The Discharged Men Will Not Be Permitted to
Return to the Service of the Company
The Coal Business Practically Dead.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 25-The following no
tice was issued las. night, signed by General
Manager Mcleod, of the Philadelphia 81 Read
ing railroad:
Work will be resumed Tuesday morning Dec
81, at the Port Richmond yards Emp loyes WIN re-
not report viii be filed by other men. The men dis
charged for disobedience of orders in refusing to
move the trains the place of their destination VIII
not be permitted to again enter the service OF the
company IN any capacity
The men declare that il they do not gain their
point they will take more aggressive steps and
extend the struggle to every branch of the serv-
ice with the single exception of United States
mail trains. The situation tonight remains 40
solutely unchanged.
Leading strikers say: ''We wish to place
ourselves right before the public by letting it be
known that the striking employees of the Read
ing Railroad Company are willing to arbisrate
their differences with the company, and We are
ready to resume work at any time, pending ar
bitratiou. Our executive committe is ready to
meet the representatives of the company when
they notify US of their willingness to treat with
u.s.
An officer OF the company said this evening
that the managers did not believe that the
strike would extend beyond few assemblies in
this city. He claimed that he had received ap-
plications for work from $50 experienced train
hands to-day, but that he had not accepted
them because he did not believe their services
would be required. He declared that the claim
that 65, 900 men would Quit the companys en-
ploy was pure fabrication, and he stoutly
maintained that the 40, 900 miners would refuse
to go out with tine aggrieved freight handlers
in this city.
READING Pa. Dec. 25-On last Sunday over
$500 loaded coal cars made up into fifty-three
trains passed through Reading from the Schuyl-
kill coal region for Port Richmond and other
points south of this city. To-day not single
car was moved, and the coal trade is practically
dead. During this forenoon over one hundred
railroaders whose trains sidings
north and south of this city, passed through
Reading. bound for their homes. whic are
mostly in the coal regions The orders to
strike were received early this morning, and,
far as the railroad crews were concerned,
were pr omptly obeyed. Immediately thereafter.
General Manager Mcleod telegraphed orders
that every engine attached to trains lying on
sidlngs should be housed and guarded, and this
was promptly done, the engines being run to
Reading, Pottstown and other points The
company employs at its shops in this city about
9 900 men, but they will not go out, they
claim that they are not included in the order of
the knights to strike but the leaders in this
city expect such order very soon, so as to
more enectualIy Cripple tue company n uSob-
ing of the ralroaders' assembly was held here
to-day, and while no definite action was taken.
the prevailing sentiment was In favor or stand
ing by the strikers
Agents of the Reading company to-day act
lively canvassed this section for men to fill the
places of the strikers and enable them to re-
sumo the movement of trains on tuesday morn
Master Workman Hawman. of this city, to-
day sent out kilograms notifying all assemblies
ot the decision to strike.
CIra Pa Oar a rna a
trains on the Mahanoy Sc Shamokin branch of
the Shamokin division of the Reading railroad
have been stop ped, and the men are firm n
their determinati to move traffic Owing
to the Christmas holidays there Is little
coal at the mines for shipment. The general
opinion in this region is that the strike now on
in the Lehigh region. and this one. will be ad
iusted in the course of several weeks The
support ow being given to the Lehlgh men will
necessarily be stopped.
NoRRIsTowN, Pa, Dec. 25.-Eight freight
and coal train crews abandoned their trains be-
tween this place and Conshohocken, late last
night. The men took their engines to Reading.
All the side tracks in the vicinity of Bridgeport
are occupied by trains from which the iocomo-
tives have been uncoupled One train passed
| up the road, this afternoon. in charge OF non
union crew. One hundred in Bridgeport
out of employment. Local Assem- DIV. NC.
1884, held a meeting at that place this afternoon,
and received the final WORD from the head officers
to strike The Bridgeport shifting engines have
been in charge of nom union men. who will con-
tinue at their posts
PoTTSvILLE, Dec. 25-For the first time In
many weeks not car, with the exception or
passenger trains, has moved, and all traffic is as
utterly at end as though the railroad tracks
were torn up. Assembly 1869, Knights OF La
bor held a special meeting late last night and
resolved to recognize and obey the order from
headquarters to join the strike. The action OF
the rallroaders for the time disposes of the
dispute between the Coal and Iron
Company and the miners concerning wages,
for if the railroad strike continues it must re-
suit in a suspension of operations a the mines
off Y az q m
| rumored that the employees of the Coal and Iron
Company's extensive machine and repair shops
in this city will be called out shortly in order to
| more effectuaily cripple the company.